The words were not what shook the hall to its core, but the silence that followed them. Almost everyone knew exactly what had happened after the Fall of the Vargos Empire transformed into what is now called the Holy Empire.
How many nobles had been subjected to what was known as the "purge"? Even those who surrendered were reduced to mere servants paying money under the name of "donations," only to be eliminated later under flimsy pretexts to increase the Church's prestige. As for those who tried to flee, they found themselves hunted by accusations of "heresy" that followed them like their own shadows.
And today? Not a single individual or family remains from the founders who built the Vargos Empire. The Church exploited their civil war and entered under the pretext of assistance, then manipulated the common people and incited them against the nobility to eliminate all opposition.
It exploited the fear of those who surrendered, draining their wealth until the very end before finishing them off completely. And because the Church was a force deeply embedded throughout many nations, it rallied the support of the entire continent to prevent the Empires of Aster and Selene from intervening, allowing it to isolate its prey and erase Barkas's legacy forever.
The common people may not know this truth, and even the newer nobles may be ignorant of it, but every ancient family in this hall understood the tragedy that had occurred. They remembered how the Emperor mounted his dragon, Aster, in an attempt to save what could still be saved. In the end, only a single person emerged from that hell alive—the great ancestor of the Duke of the South.
A single member of an imperial family, handed over by a subdued and humiliated Church after the Emperor had crushed its greatest force. Nearly fourteen hundred years had passed since that incident. It was true that relations between the Church and the Empire had recovered during the reign of the Fourth Emperor, but would the Church ever forget such humiliation?
Who knows... that is a story for another time.
Ray clapped his hands, bringing everyone back to the hall.
"Alright, back to the meeting. That concludes everything regarding this pillar. Duke, please take your seat."
Ray smiled and gestured toward the Duke of the North. The meaning of that smile was perfectly clear:
(Do not cross the line.)
Push any further, and it would be possible to turn this pack of hyenas against you and leave them gnawing on your bones until they pinned every one of their mistakes on your shoulders. In the end, nobles cared only about their own interests.
That was why Ray had worked so hard to build a system capable of adapting.
But was that truly everything about the Third Pillar?
Ray's smile faded as he looked across the nobles.
No.
That was not everything.
There was still one part left unmentioned—the base of the pyramid: the network of informants and city watchmen. Their duty was public surveillance.
An army of eyes spread throughout markets, taverns, and villages, submitting daily reports on the condition of the populace and any seeds of unrest or rebellion.
This was a part that would not be revealed for now, but it would become extremely important once coordinated with the sensors of the Pillar of Spirit.
"Rei, continue," Ray ordered after the Duke had sat down.
The Duke no longer appeared angry or displeased. He had calmed down and begun thinking. From the very beginning, he had never intended to be openly hostile. He had his own plans. He simply could no longer keep his emotions restrained and had tried to test this child.
And now his suspicions had been confirmed.
This person had changed.
He was not the same rabbit he once knew—the one who pretended to be strong while trembling beneath the table.
How could such fangs belong to him?
Had he been acting all this time, waiting for an opportunity?
An opportunity for what?
What had he been waiting for before revealing his true self?
The Duke's eyes narrowed as he stared at Ray.
Then Morgana entered his field of vision.
"It seems he is not the only one who has changed."
The Duke smiled, though the smile quickly disappeared.
Then Rei's cold voice awakened the hall once more.
[We will now move on to the Second Pillar: the Pillar of Military Power (The Sword).]
[As everyone can see on page ninety-eight, the Second Pillar is not merely an army. It is the price of survival. If the Third Pillar is the "eye" that watches in silence, then the Second Pillar is the "blade" that ends arguments. Its purpose is not merely to wage war, but to ensure that no one dares even think of one.]
What a grand expression. Does he think he commands the First Emperor's army or something?
The Duke of the North mocked inwardly as he turned the page.
Then his hand froze on the first displayed word.
"Deprivation?"
[First: deprivation of the financial nerve. The Commander of the Second Pillar possesses soldiers, but not a single coin. Salaries, food expenses, and equipment all come from the Fourth Pillar (Finance) through the Minister of Defense after the budget has been reviewed by the Minister of Finance.]
This was not merely an administrative rule.
It was a noose tightening around the necks of nobles who had long been accustomed to purchasing officers' loyalty with gold.
After all, under the old system, a soldier or knight saw that "gold" came from the noble's hand, even if it was actually state money. That naturally made the soldier more loyal to the hand that fed him than to the crown.
And that was not all.
The nobles had often allocated portions of their personal wealth to "support" the legions within their territories.
This rule severed the path for any donations or gifts from nobles to the military.
Military commanders had frequently been forced to negotiate with nobles for supplies and provisions, leaving them indebted to those nobles for their assistance.
This was not merely a matter of honor or loyalty.
It was a matter of pride.
And this rule corrected it.
[Second: deprivation of information and sight. The Third Pillar (Security and Intelligence) maintains sovereign observers within every military legion. These individuals do not answer to the army commander. They report directly to the Commander of the Third Pillar.]
Rei paused.
His gaze settled upon one of the people in the hall—the current Commander of the Army, Alexander.
Alexander had been absorbed in reading the details before finally raising his hand and politely requesting permission to speak.
"Lord Rei, does that mean the Commander of the Pillar will be subordinate to both the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defense?" Alexander asked, driven by curiosity rather than objection.
He was one of the few remaining jewels still loyal to the throne, the man who had prevented the army's collapse when everyone else fled.
"As for that," Ray said, indicating that he would answer personally, "the Commander's role is limited to his own pillar. Budgets and supplies are not matters you need concern yourself with. Your only responsibility is the soldiers under your command."
"???"
Alexander was stunned by Ray's wording.
Was he implying that the position of Commander of this Pillar would belong to him?
"Your Majesty... do you mean—"
"Commander of the Armies Alexander, I still recognize your exceptional competence. Your title will be changed to Grand Commander of the Army. I will leave the task of reorganizing this pillar and establishing the necessary departments to you."
Ray smiled.
There was no need to ask anyone's opinion regarding this appointment.
Had it not been for this man, the Duke's plans would have succeeded long ago.
Because of him, the rabbit had managed to endure for three years.
Because of him, control over the army had been maintained after news of the Emperor's flight spread.
And most importantly, because of him, the nobles still played the role of obedient crocodiles.
Had they not feared a Level Eight Knight approaching Level Nine, the chaos would have reached an entirely different scale.
Alexander stood and bowed deeply.
"I will not disappoint Your Majesty."
The buzzing of conversation began again.
But before it could spread further, Ray clapped his hands and motioned for Alexander to sit.
"Good. This is not an official appointment. You will serve temporarily. If I determine that you cannot adapt to the new system, I will not hesitate to replace you."
"Understood."
"Rei will explain the hierarchy of this pillar. Pay close attention."
Ray gestured for Rei to continue.
Naturally, only the framework would be presented for now.
[Very well. The changes to the chain of command will be as follows:]
[At the top of the hierarchy: the Commander of the Second Pillar (Grand Commander of the Armies). He is the will of the throne on the battlefield, the blade that knows no politics. He answers directly to the Emperor, and his duty is to turn threats into corpses and maps into victories.]
Turn threats into corpses?
[In other words, authority is being separated and strengthened, not reduced.]
Yes.
That was perfectly clear considering the way the threat had just been phrased.
The Duke of the East sighed and smiled while Rei continued his explanation without receiving any questions.
The nobles had little role in commenting on this pillar.
Even the Duke of the North possessed no authority over the army.
He knew Alexander's character well enough that he had never even attempted to contact him.
Instead, he had tried to work through Sislin directly in order to cripple Alexander's movements while drawing soldiers' loyalty toward himself.
[For reference, there will eventually be both an external army and an internal army. This matter will be discussed later with the Commander of the Pillar.]
[Moving on to the second level: the Council of Generals (Commanders of the Regular Legions).]
Without giving anyone a chance to interrupt, Rei continued.
[Their duty is to command the primary combat formations. The council includes commanders of the heavy infantry, armored cavalry, and archers.]
[Third level: Command of Elite Forces (The Spearhead). Their mission is to conduct swift and violent military operations.]
[This includes special units such as knight orders, battle mages, and others. They are the force that ends battles before they even begin.]
"How exactly?" one noble asked.
Rei ignored him.
[Fourth level: the Field General Staff. Their responsibility is planning and maneuvering. In short, they are the officers who distribute assignments on the battlefield and ensure that the generals' orders are executed accurately and efficiently.]
This department was not unfamiliar.
It already existed and merely required restructuring.
Rei briefly acknowledged it before moving on.
[At the base of the pyramid: the regular legions and conscripts. They are the backbone of the army—the professional soldiers who live in military barracks and train year-round to be prepared for any call from the Emperor.]
[All of the organizations and candidates for these positions already exist. A separate meeting will be held regarding the pillars to discuss the details of military reorganization, and you will be summoned at a later date.]
"Understood."
Alexander nodded respectfully and accepted the order, even though it had come from Rei rather than directly from the Emperor.
-------------------------------
End of Chapter
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[Additional Information: The World's Combat Energy System]
[Energy in this world is divided into two types: Aura and Mana.]
[First: Aura. This is a physical energy that can be acquired through rigorous training or specialized combat techniques. Most soldiers, mercenaries, and adventurers rely on this path. It is a "human" power that depends on refining the body and pushing it beyond its natural limits.]
[Second: Mana. This is a higher energy possessed only by the gifted—those born with an innate affinity for it. This path is divided into three branches: external, internal, and unique.]